Tag Archives: Mauritius

According to allcountrylist, Mauritius is an island nation located in the Indian Ocean off the coast of Africa. It has a small, open economy with services and tourism being the main economic activities. Services account for around 70% of GDP while tourism contributes around 18%. Agriculture is an important sector in Mauritius with sugar cane being the most widely grown crop followed by tea, tobacco, potatoes and bananas. Livestock is also an important activity with poultry being the most widely produced followed by beef, pork, mutton and dairy products. The majority of agricultural produce is consumed domestically while some products are exported to other countries for sale on international markets. Fishing is also a major sector in Mauritius with tuna being the most important species caught followed by marlin, mahi-mahi and wahoo. Manufacturing is a relatively small contributor to GDP with food processing being the most important industry followed by textiles production, construction materials production and chemicals production. The manufacturing sector produces a wide variety of goods including clothing, footwear and electronics which are exported to other countries for sale on international markets. The history of agriculture in Mauritius can be traced back to the early settlers who first colonized the island as early as 1000 BC. These settlers used stone structures to store grain and other crops, indicating evidence of an agricultural economy even then. In the 16th century, when Mauritius was under Portuguese rule, several large-scale farms were established by European settlers. These farms focused on cash crops such as sugar cane and indigo which were exported to Europe for profit. In addition, traditional farming practices such as pastoralism and fishing also continued among local tribes at this time. By the 19th century, French colonization had taken hold in Mauritius and large-scale commercial agriculture was introduced to the region. This included plantations of cotton, rice and other crops which were grown primarily for export purposes. However, traditional farming methods still remained important in many areas where subsistence agriculture was practiced by smallholders who grew food for their own consumption or to sell at local markets. In the 20th century, Mauritian agriculture underwent significant changes due to increased mechanization and advances in technology. This allowed for larger scale production of cash crops such as millet, sorghum, maize and cotton which were grown primarily for export or domestic consumption. Additionally, livestock rearing became increasingly important with camels being a major source of income for some rural households while fishing continued to be a key source of food security in coastal communities. In recent decades there has been an increasing focus on agroforestry initiatives which combine tree crops with short-term cash crops helping to maintain soil fertility while also generating income for farmers. The government has also implemented several policies aimed at modernizing the agricultural sector such as providing access to credit facilities and subsidies for farmers as well as investing in better infrastructure which has helped boost yields and incomes from farming activities in recent years. Overall Mauritanian agriculture is still largely dependent on traditional methods but there have been some changes due to increased mechanization and improved infrastructure which have helped contribute towards a more efficient agricultural sector overall. See smber for Mauritius Agriculture and Fishing.